This invention relates to communications among end user communication devices and more specifically to control of access to delivered email and confirmation to the email originator of the receipt of the email by the recipient as processed by end user communication devices, especially but not limited to, email, SMTP and HTTP communications by wireless end user communication devices, which may be made by different manufacturers and/or have different operating systems.
Wireless communication devices are now prevalent throughout all developed countries of the world. Although cellular telephones are currently the most widespread, other types of wireless communication devices include personal digital assistants, laptop computers with Wi-Fi and/or telecommunication carrier communication support, and various types of “pads” that provide visual displays that are larger than conventional cellular telephones but typically smaller than the displays of a laptop computer. Wireless voice communications between mobile devices utilizing different types of communication protocols, e.g. analog, TDMA, CDMA, VOIP, etc., are supported by different telecommunication carriers which provide appropriate communication protocol interfaces/gateways to facilitate voice communications between mobile units using different communication protocols.
Various types of transport layer communication protocols are supported by wireless communication devices. For example, text messaging, short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), email such as by simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), and instant messaging utilizing hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) are available. Each type service is supported by a transport layer communication protocol that is part of the telecommunication signaling structure associated with the transport of user communications and the communication of telecommunication infrastructure commands and signals.
The use of email by users of wireless and non-wireless communication devices is popular. Email typically uses SMTP as a transport mechanism. Some, but not all, SMTP servers and email clients support the transmission of a receipt confirmation from an addressee of the email to the email originator, if the originator had requested such notice. However, it is not mandatory that the email addressee actually send (permit) the transmission of the requested receipt confirmation, even if the addressee receives and reads the email. From the email originator's perspective, it should not be assumed that the addressee did not receive and/or read the corresponding email based on the failure of the originator to receive a confirmation of receipt.